1. Skills
  2. Speaking
  3. A2 speaking
  4. Talking about personal interests

Talking about personal interests

In this video, Emir asks Paul about his hobbies. Listen to the language they use for talking about personal interests and practise saying the useful phrases.

Do the preparation exercise first. Then watch the video and do the exercises to check your understanding and practise the language.

Preparation

Speaking A2: Talking about personal interests – preparation

Transcript

Ana: Hi! I'm Ana. Welcome to What to Say! 

Do you know what to say when you talk about your personal interests? Listen out for useful language for talking about personal interests. Then, we'll practise saying the new phrases – after this.

 

Emir: Hi, Paul. I made you a cup of tea. Just how you like it, milk and two sugars.

Paul: Oh, thanks, Emir.

Emir: You're welcome. So what do you do when you're not working?

Paul: Oh, umm, not much. I'm always really tired in the evenings and at weekends.

Emir: Haven't you got any hobbies?

Paul: Well, I've recently started doing meditation.

Emir: I didn't know you did meditation. I do too!

Paul: Oh, right. So, um, how often do you practise? 

Emir: Most mornings usually, but if it's really busy, then sometimes it's hard to find time. 

Paul: Yeah, I know what you mean. I normally meditate once or twice a week. I never have enough time to do it more than that.

Emir: What are you doing now?

Paul: Nothing much, just drinking my tea … 

 

Ana: Hello again! Now that's something you don't see in the office every day! So, did you notice the useful phrases used for talking about your personal interests? Listen to me and then repeat.

 

What do you do when you're not working?

I didn't know you did meditation.

I do too!

How often do you practise?

Most mornings, usually.

Sometimes it's hard to find time.

I normally meditate once or twice a week.

I never have enough time.

 

Ana: Try and use some of these phrases the next time you talk about your personal interests in English. Bye for now! 

Task 1

Speaking A2: Talking about personal interests – 1

Task 2

Speaking A2: Talking about personal interests – 2

Task 3

Speaking A2: Talking about personal interests – 3

Discussion

What do you do when you're not working?

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Worksheet114.65 KB

Language level

A2 Pre-intermediate
Average: 4.3 (51 votes)
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Submitted by O'Prata on Fri, 06/11/2020 - 06:47

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I usually have some difficulties understanding Paul. For example, in the beginning, when Paul said he was always tired, I understood "... evening SAND at weekend" instead of "evenings AND at weekends" Other word I understood bad was when Paul said "Oh! Right!". I understood "Oh! Thrice!" (LOL!!!) I had to see the transcription in order to get the meaning of what he was saying. Thanks for the video.

Hello O'Prata,

You're quite right in how you explain this. It's one of the features of connected speech in English.

When a word ends with a consonant sound (such as /s/) and the next word begins with a vowel sound (such as /æ/), the consonant sound joins the following vowel sound:

evenings and at weekends

evening s➙an d➙at weekends

 

To practise this, you can try reading the script along with the recording. This will help you maintain a proper rhythm and encourage you to link words to fit the cadence and stress patterns of natural English. The familiarisation process will aid in understanding this kind of speech as well.

 

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Ye Min Oo on Fri, 23/10/2020 - 14:21

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Not much, I always play guitar and sometimes I read English novels and sing songs. Recently, i have started drawing.

Submitted by Moon Wathan on Wed, 21/10/2020 - 17:25

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not much, I always learn English or sometimes I watch the movies or I often read the novels. But I actually don't like to watch the movie. Now I have free time, I try to play the guitar because I am learning how to play the guitar about one month.

Submitted by togrul01 on Mon, 19/10/2020 - 21:29

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Actually, I meet with my friends and go somewhere or watch a movie. Then I read a book. This book is Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment". Recently, I read it.

Submitted by Pola on Thu, 15/10/2020 - 17:55

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Oh, not much, but I've recently started watching documentary videos and I practice it most evenings and at weekends, but if I really busy it's hard to find time to do it more than that.

Submitted by habibao.medo on Sat, 10/10/2020 - 09:40

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watching movies and reading novels

Submitted by Shiv on Fri, 09/10/2020 - 11:41

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I Have started recently learning English language in my free time. Because i am really feeling occurred because my speaking is not well as others. I would try to speak English fluently. So when ever I get time using in learning English .how to talk people and how to understand the way of their speaking.

Submitted by manuloco on Wed, 23/09/2020 - 01:03

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I've recently started play guitar for more time. I practice it more than twice a day for all week.

Submitted by Lena on Tue, 22/09/2020 - 17:59

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Hi! I've got a question. In the video Emir says 'It's hard to find time' but in the task 3 we find the same phrase with the definite article in it ('It's hard to find THE time'). So why that?